The Buzz On Tea

Tired of the coffee jitters? Sick of sweet, syrupy sodas? No longer energized by energy drinks? Maybe it's time to turn your attention to another form of liquid boost — tea.

tea please

Tea is the second-most popular beverage in the world after water, but in North America, it has always been eclipsed by coffee. In 2003, coffee consumption in the United States outstripped tea drinking by nearly two and a half times. But according to Packaged Facts, the publishing division of MarketResearch.com, the U.S. market for tea measured $5.1 billion in 2003, and will nearly double to $10 billion by 2010.

what about caffeine in tea?

Well, tea's got it, although in quantities that make for a mellower "kick" than coffee. But first, a word about exactly what tea is and isn't.

Tea is a beverage brewed from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and consumed hot or cold. The word tea is commonly — and incorrectly — used to refer to various other beverages that resemble it, such as tisanes (also known as herbal teas), yerba mate and rooibos.

Tea derived from Camellia sinensis comes in thousands of varieties, which can be broken down into four broad categories — black, green, oolong, and white. Tea in two other categories — yellow and pu-erh — are sufficiently rare that most casual tea drinkers will probably never encounter them.

Differences between teas are a result of how the leaves are processed after harvesting, particularly with regard to oxidization, the process that allows the leaves to take on oxygen.

Tea's caffeine content varies considerably based on many factors, including the variety, brewing time and water temperature. Trying to quantify the amount of caffeine in tea is an inexact science, but the following breakdown gives a good general guideline.

Serious tea drinkers prefer loose-leaf varieties, which allow water to circulate freely among the leaves while steeping, providing a fuller flavor. Loose teas are typically superior to the fragments, known as fannings or dust, used to make tea bags.

let's talk about tea

There are numerous types of teas. The following are the most popular ones; find out what they taste like, how much caffeine they contain on average (per cup), and how to drink them.

Black tea

What it tastes like: Malty, robustCaffeine content: 45 mgHow to drink it: With milk or cream, sugar or honey, and perhaps a twist of lemon.

Order a cup of tea in the average restaurant, at least in most Western countries, and you'll probably get black tea brewed from a tea bag. Grown primarily in India, China and Sri Lanka, black teas are subject to the highest degree of oxidization, which is what accounts for their dark color. Compare black tea's caffeine content to coffee (60-135 mg) and cola (35-45 mg).

Everything you need to know about green, oolong, white, and flavored teas, as well as tisane, yerba mate, and rooibos...